


Why Is The Voice In My Head So Loud?

by zeddpool



Category: Marvel, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Alien Gender/Sexuality, Anne Weying has ADHD, Asexual Dan Lewis, Autistic Eddie Brock, Bisexual Anne Weying, Bisexual Eddie Brock, Echolalia, Eddie Brock Needs A Hug, Eddie brock is a dumbass, Established Danne, Established Symbrock, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Getting Together - OT4, Hallucinations, Jewish Anne Weying, Multi, Non-binary Venom, Oblivious Eddie Brock, Other, Pagan Dan Lewis, Polyamory, Psychosis, San Francisco, Semi-Nonverbal Eddie Brock, Trans Eddie Brock, Vaguely Christian Eddie Brock, don’t worry it’s not as dark as it sounds, psychotic character, they/them pronouns for venom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2019-11-12 15:13:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18013292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeddpool/pseuds/zeddpool
Summary: Eddie and Venom go for a morning ferry ride with Anne and Dan. Eddie says it’s not a date. Venom disagrees. Either way, things go sideways fast.





	1. It’s Definitely Not A Date

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Ostara! It’s finally spring! Here’s the first chapter of a fic I’ve had in my mind since October! Tags on the fic will change as more chapters are added.

Eddie still wasn’t sure how he’d gotten back in Anne’s good graces, let alone how he’d managed to make friends with his ex’s new beau, but he wasn’t complaining. His symbiotic alien brain-mate on the other hand...

**“I still do not see why we can’t just swim across ourselves, we are much faster than any boat.”**

“For the last time, V, just because Annie and Dan are cool with the existence of aliens, doesn’t mean the rest of the Bay Area will be. And you’re missing the point of the ferry. It’s one of those ‘it’s about the journey, not the destination’ things.”

**“But you can’t even reach the tasty things from the boat!”**  

“Oh, my _god_ , V! Not everything is about food! Just!” he took a breath, trying to calm down, “Listen, if you behave for the ferry ride, I’ll buy you whatever you want from Ghirardelli when it’s over.”

**“Fine. But Anne and Dan can’t come. I want a date with you when theirs is over, it’s only fair.”**

Eddie blushed furiously, going bug-eyed and spluttering, “Venom! It’s not-! They’re just-! Besides, I don’t-I don’t even know if Dan is-! Augh! _It’s not a date!!!_ ”

**“But you want it to be.”**

Eddie pointedly ignored the symbiote, stuffing his wallet, phone, and keys in his pockets and closing the door perhaps a little too hard.

* * *

**Venom loved their host to death, but Eddie could be dumb as a rock sometimes. Venom could smell how Anne and Dan felt about Eddie, though the tall brunette was missing some of the chemicals the blonde emitted, but they both smelled the same when focused on Eddie as they did when focused on each other. Venom knew they were hardly better than Eddie when it came to human behaviour, but they thought Anne and Dan had been pretty clear when they asked Eddie out. Eddie, however, refused to believe them when they told him as much, and they couldn’t tell how much of it was genuine disbelief and how much was guilt and fear that he was going to ruin whatever relationship he still had left with Annie.**

**So Venom was quiet, even when Eddie’s heart skipped a beat upon seeing the other humans at the docks, and they definitely didn’t make their host stumble into Dan so they could get a read from skin contact. His pulse had quickened, too, despite Eddie’s insistence that ‘Dan doesn’t swing that way’. The three were, thankfully, mostly alone on the boat, save for maybe five other humans, not including the crew. Venom cringed when the horn on the deck above signaled they were leaving the dock, and buzzed unhappily during the rest of the tour guide’s introduction.**

* * *

Eddie was still suspicious that Venom had tripped him on purpose, but they denied it when he asked. Dan didn’t suspect a thing, thank _god_ , and Eddie’s stomach totally didn’t flip when Dan laughed like that, all warmth and sunshine. Definitely not. And he absolutely didn’t start grinning like an idiot when Annie took his hand, a rosy blush climbing up his neck when she didn’t let go. None of that happened, no sir.

He did feel a bit panicked, and _very_ warm, when Anne and Dan sat down on either side of him during the orientation in the hull, their thighs pressed right up against his own, Anne’s hand still curled in his. He would’ve been grateful Venom didn’t laugh at him, but he could feel them squirm at the boat’s horn, and felt them burble in discomfort under his skin the whole time the tour guide was talking.

Dan was providing running commentary during the speech, since he was the only local out of the three of them. Eddie had actually been born here, but he had grown up in New York his whole life, so he was just as much a tourist as Anne. Besides, the way Anne grinned and stifled her giggles was more than worth it. He couldn’t help but worry about Venom, though, who had been uncharacteristically quiet ever since they’d left the dock. His worried were abated, however, when Venom went right back to chattering, nagging, and asking question after question the second they got back above deck.

Venom was especially curious about the fog that had settled around the ferry, the cool of the morning making it thicker than they had grown accustomed to, and Eddie vaguely remembered that the fog had a name.

“Hey, Dan, doesn’t San Francisco have a name for the fog? Or am I remembering that wrong?”

Dan looked pleasantly surprised, his eyes widening just a fraction, before replying, “Yeah, it’s called Karl. I’ve never met a non-native who knew that, I’m impressed!”

Eddie blushed, just slightly, more a light dusting across the cheeks, really.

“I was born here. We lived here until I was two, and then we moved to New York when my dad got a job there.”

“Huh! What’re the odds? Where did you live?”

“I don’t really remember, I was really young, but it was within walking distance of a church, my dad was a pretty devout Catholic.” He paused. “We don’t...talk much, anymore.”

Rather than prying, Dan gave him understanding look, and moved on. The three of them talked happily after that, uninterrupted, except for Eddie cutting in with the occasional, “My, uh, _partner_ wanted know...”

* * *

**Venom was relieved when they got back into the open air, and was content to keep their prying resigned to questions about Eddie’s planet, the ‘city’ that he lived in, and the strange gas that blurred the air around them. Karl, it was apparently called. Eddie silently clarified that ‘Karl’ was just the name for the gas in this ‘city’, and it was usually called ‘fog’.**

**They felt a surge of protectiveness when Eddie’s brain chemicals turned sour, the unmistakable, acrid taste of pain and sadness. They were ready to hunt down Eddie’s father and eat him, and were almost disappointed that Dan changed the subject. Almost.**

**Still, they were so distracted by observing their host and his potential mates interact, they didn’t notice where they were standing, leaning into a corner of the aft of the ship, the Bay rolling along right below. And they didn’t notice the other ferry approaching, until the helmsman pulled the horn. The horn Eddie was standing. Right. Next. To. And they were caught so off guard that the sound threw them straight out of Eddie, and into the Bay below.**


	2. Whoever Said "Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder" Was An Idiot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie's Not-A-Date-From-Hell goes about how you'd expect, and Venom (mostly) accidentally kills half the fish in the San Francisco Bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To preface, I based Eddie's experience on my own, as a semi-nonverbal Autistic person, and I wanted to write echolalia after I had a particularly bad non-verbal bout during a meltdown last week. So.
> 
> On an unrelated note, it’s my birthday today!

Gone.

Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone. It was all Eddie could think, feel, process. Venom was gone. They were gone, Eddie was alone, and the world was Too Big again. His chest felt tight, his eyes burned, and he was suddenly, painfully, _cold_.

Anne noticed that something was wrong first, and only had to tap Dan's arm before he was turning to reach for Eddie. Anne held him back, knowing that crowding the reporter was the worst thing they could do for him right now. Instead, she slowly but purposefully stepped into Eddie's line of sight, and held her hand up to catch his attention.

Eddie looked up. Anne was staring at him, her mouth was moving, but all he could hear was _noise_. Distantly, he was aware of Dan making noises at Anne and stepping into the spot she had been standing.

The surgeon began slowly signing,

_'Can you sign?'_

It took Eddie longer than he wanted to understand, and respond,

_'A little.'_

_'What's wrong?'_

Eddie tried to translate his thoughts into words, words into signs, but his language functions were being frustratingly slow. He tried to force himself to speak.

"Go-, go-, go-" he couldn't get his voice to form words. "Nn! Go-! Go-!" he could feel tears pricking at his eyes, and his face flushed with embarrassment, but he couldn't articulate why at the moment.

"...Gone?" Anne's voice was starting to become clear. He nodded vigorously. "Okay, what's gone?"

Again, he tried to shove sound out of his throat, but all he could say was, "V-, v-, v-,v-. V-! V-!"

Dan and Anne's faces twisted briefly with confusion, before their eyes widened in tandem, realisation slowly dawning, and gasped in chorus.

"Venom."

* * *

**Heavy. Dark. Cold. Eddie. Eddie? Eddie!!!**

**Venom was disoriented, awareness flowing like plasma through the void.**

_"Like molasses in January."  
_

**Eddie! Where was Eddie? Where were they? They ran through their sensory information again. Heavy. Dark. Cold. They felt heavy, not as much as they usually did on Earth, but the gravity was still a bruising force on their matter, so much greater than their home planet. It was dark, not in a way that their host could comprehend, everything was muffled and fuzzy, sound, touch, smell, even what Eddie experienced as light. And it was cold, not as cold as home, but absolutely freezing compared to their Eddie. As they started to recall what had happened, they realised they were in the 'Bay'. And not Eddie.  
**

**First things first, they writhed through the water to the nearest fish, and latched on, wasting no time in using their borrowed body to swim towards the shore, pausing only to switch hosts when the previous one was... expended.**

**The last host they took was a predator, fast and light, but proved useless when they made it to the shore, it's fins flapping uselessly against the sand, gills sputtering in the dry air. Venom could do nothing but hunker down and wait, and eat what was left of their quickly dying host.**

* * *

 Eddie had calmed down some, but was visibly unwell, his face looking sunken, skin sallow, and clothes soaked with sweat. Dan had managed to get the three of them into a crew area of the ship, away from the other passengers, while Anne had stayed with Eddie, working to get him calm. He still couldn't form his own words, but he could sign, and was trying to explain what had happened with what few signs he knew.

 _'Where did Venom go?'_ Dan signed.

_'Don't know.'_

_'What happened?'_

Eddie deflated, his hands waving uselessly, not knowing how to sign what he needed to say. In desperation, he tapped at his ear.

"Hear? Sound? Loud?" Anne cut in.

Eddie nodded, echoing, "Loud! Loud, loud, loud, loud!"

Anne was pretty used to this, just smiled, knowing it meant Eddie was feeling better. Dan, rather than...well, rather than reacting in any of the negative ways Eddie had expected, he looked...pleased, as if he just recognised a song he hadn't heard since high school.

"Echolalia! This is-" he was cut off by Anne's _very_ sharp elbow lodging itself under his ribs. She gave him a pointed 'Not. Now.' glare, and turned back to Eddie.

"What was loud, Eddie? A person? A bird? Something on the boat?"

"Boat! Boat!"

"Okay, what part of-" Dan stopped when Anne grabbed his arm, her eyes wide.

"Dan. The boat's horn. Eddie was standing right next to it."

* * *

Astro's parents were away for the weekend, and their brother was staying with friends, so Astro was free as a bird. They stepped off the bus at the end of Van Ness, hugging the shoulder of the curb, avoiding the people going past as best they could, all but running to the shade of the trees by the Bay Trail. It was early enough in the morning that even the locals were scarce, let alone tourists, and Astro made quick work of climbing under the chain in front of the Sea Scout base and climbing with practiced ease along the narrow ledge that led to the underside of the Muni Pier. It was their own little secret hideaway, even when the walkway above was crowded with people, but it was especially nice at times like this, where the weather was damp and grey, and the quiet made it easier to tell what was real and what wasn't. A flicker of movement caught their eye, and they could've been sure they'd imagined it, if not for the brownish lump where the movement had come from. Astro stepped closer, crouched down, and discovered the lump was a leopard shark.

"What on Earth are you doing all the way in here? You're not an escapee from the Cal Academy are you?" they laughed at the absurdity of their own question, "No, of course not, that's ridiculous. So, you probably got lost and swam into the bay on accident, huh? Unless one of those rich kids without a license thought it'd be funny to try home-caught shark fin." they continued rambling, until they noticed a ripple of movement under the animal's scales.

"Oh, my god, you're still alive! Shit! Fuck! Umm..." They fumbled for a moment, trying to position their hands along the lay of the shark's scales, ready to push the creature back into the water. "I suppose there's no point in asking if you're ready, so, uh, here we go!"

They pressed their hands against it's cool, smooth skin, but before they could get a decent grip, something large, dark, and shiny surged out of the shark and onto their hands. They yelped and lept back, unintentionally kicking the dead shark into the water in the process. They fell unceremoniously on their ass, arms forming an X above their head, and they held their breath, waiting for whatever-that-was to attack. They were still for what seemed an eternity, then tentatively peered through their crossed forearms, before finally uncurling and looking around.

Nothing. Not even a slime trail indicating that... _thing_ had left. No shark either. They sat for a moment, shaking, wondering if any of that had actually happened. It felt too real not to, but...

They shook their head, deliberately putting it out of their mind. They stood, brushing the sand and rocks off their pants, and made their way back up to the public pathway.

"A distraction is all I need. I wonder if anything's moved into where Rocket Fizz used to be?" and with that they set off towards Fisherman's Wharf, but wound up taking a detour to Ghirardelli. They didn't know why, but they were craving chocolate like nobody's business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Astro is the character I've been dying to write since the movie came out, please be nice to them.


	3. I Hear Voices, And You’re Not One Of Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie has A Moment or three with Dan and Annie, mostly Dan, though, and Venom may have made a new friend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My god Eddie is an angsty, oblivious, pining little dumbass in this, I’m sorry. Anyway, I really love Astro, please be nice to them.

The rest of the ferry ride was a blur, everything flowing together in his haze of "Venom, Venom, gone, gone, help!" He was only vaguely aware of warm hands ushering him into a backseat, soft reassurances of "We're here, you're safe, we'll find them, don't cry, Eddie, don't cry." He didn't remember falling asleep, but he must have at some point, because he woke up who-knows-how=long later on a very familiar couch.

He bolted upright. Annie's apartment. It felt odd to be back there after so long, the once comforting surroundings feeling almost alien now, like someone else's memories. He heard the telltale scuffle and clink of someone in the kitchen, and he hesitantly crept up to the doorway, peering around the door-frame to see Dan humming contentedly at the stove. Gone was the sterile white lab-coat Eddie had come to associate with the man. Instead, he wore a rather flattering sienna and marigold plaid flannel, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, revealing surprisingly well-toned arms. The orange hues highlighted the warmth of the man's deep brown eyes, and Eddie idly wondered if the shirt was as soft as it looked.

Dan finally noticed Eddie, his handsome face breaking into a relaxed grin, and beckoned Eddie into the room. Eddie, realising he'd been staring, ducked his head to hide the blush he knew was forming on his cheeks, and stepped into the cozy little room. In an attempt to save face, Eddie turned his attention to Dan's activity on the stove-top. He wasn't quite sure what the taller man was making, but he looked infinitely more comfortable cooking than Eddie ever had, and he quickly found himself mesmerised by the quick, certain movements of the surgeon's hands. His mind wandered aimlessly as the brunette worked, and before he knew it, the stove was already cooling, three helpings of _something_ laid out on the counter. Whatever it was, it smelled amazing, and his stomach growled in agreement.

Dan laughed, a resonant, deep chuckle that vibrated in Eddie's bones and made something light and warm settle in the pit of his stomach.

Dan signed, 'Can you talk?' which Eddie was grateful to recognise.

"Yeah, I'm good now."

"You're always good, Eddie." The response seemed to take them both by surprise, Dan looking suddenly shy, the two of them glancing awkwardly at each other until Dan finally picked up a plate and handed it to Eddie.

"Forks are in the-"

"I know."

"Oh...right."

There was another awkward beat of silence.

"So, what is this?" Eddie gestured to the plate of steaming food in his hands before digging in.

"Pollo borracho. Drunken chicken. I guess it's not a common dish in New York?"

"No, but it ought to be! This is amazing!" It wasn't just the hunger talking either. Eddie found himself falling just a little more in love with the other man, before catching himself and remembering all the reasons he Really Shouldn't Do That.

"Where's Annie?"

"She's grabbing some stuff from your place. We both agreed you should stay here with us until we find Venom. She should be back soon, actually."

Eddie felt a pang of loneliness, whether from the thought of staying with the two people in the world he loved most but couldn't have, or the terribly cold hollowness in his mind where Venom should be, he couldn't tell. Maybe both, but in either case it _hurt_. His plate was nearly empty, and now that his hunger was sated the gravity of the situation started to really sink in.

"What if we don't find them?" he asked quietly, like he was afraid saying it too loud would make it come true. "What if they're lost forever? What if they forget about me? What if..." he trembled, "what if they're dead?"

That thought terrified him most of all. After everything they've been through, he couldn't handle losing Venom. Not again.

"We will, Eddie, I promise. They'd never forget about you, and they're tougher than you seem to think. Trust me, I've seen them alone, I know they can survive long enough to find a temporary host, and I guarantee you they're fighting tooth and nail to find their way back to you, just like last time."

Dan raised his arms towards Eddie, silently asking if it was okay to hug him, and at Eddie's grateful nod, he enveloped the reporter in a warm, tight, comfortable bear hug. Eddie couldn't keep his tears from falling anymore, crying into Dan's shoulder, soaking his flannel in brine. He apologised for getting Dan's shirt wet, only for Dan to shush him and pull him closer. In the edges of his awareness, Eddie heard the front door click, and Anne's soft footsteps approaching, and soon enough he was being squeezed from two directions, Anne's soft, cool hands carding through his hair in an almost automatic movement, leftover from quiet nights when it was just him and her in bed, his heart open and raw from memories he tried and failed to forget, and Annie, always Annie, running slim fingers through his hair and murmuring reassurances until he fell asleep in her arms. It was a painfully intimate moment, and if some of the tears he shed were born out of his guilt at wanting so badly something he couldn't have, there was no one in his head to call him on it, and somehow that was worse.

* * *

**Venom felt stronger than they had that morning, consciousness creeping back in with the faint taste of chocolate on an unfamiliar tongue. Their host was almost as good a match as Eddie, but their mind was different, different from previous hosts, but not the same kind of different as Eddie.**

**Eddie.**

**Venom's being ached without him, but they still weren't strong enough to establish communication with their new (temporary) host, so they did the next best thing. They sent hunger racing down the human's nerves, and felt a surge of relief when the stranger rose from their resting place and shuffled towards where they kept their food. Venom lamented at their inability to completely control what the host ate, but food was food, and this new host seemed to have some sense of taste. They pulled a few apples from their 'fridge', sliced them, mixed peanut butter and honey in a dish, and ate the slices of apple with the mixture. Venom was surprised at how good it was, making a note to suggest it as a compromise option the next time Eddie insisted on eating plants. Still hungry, they watched as the human sliced a banana and cooked it in a pot with chocolate syrup, which turned out even better than the previous food, though that may have just been because of the chocolate syrup. They could feel strength trickling back into their cells, and continued observing eagerly as their host ate three slices of toast with jam, a pound of pan-fried chicken, and downed half a gallon of milk. Venom was still hungry, but their host was full, and Venom could feel their confusion and concern lapping at the edges of their mind. They could wait, and they would gain enough strength from the impromptu feast to establish communication with their host.**

**They passed the time exploring their host, the much smaller frame feeling unwieldy but not constricting. This host was quiet, too, all their thoughts remaining unspoken, and Venom realised just how used to Eddie they had grown, the beautiful man mumbling and talking and thinking aloud constantly, even when he momentarily forgot that Venom was there, listening. This host was like Eddie in some ways, though. They wore soft, unrestrictive clothes like Eddie's, though theirs had considerably more colour, and the symbiote marveled at the unusual hues of their hair as they passed a mirror in the hall. It reminded them of the nebulas visible from their homeworld. Venom allowed themself to relax for the rest of the time they waited, watching lazily as the human flipped through channels, eventually landing on an old sci-fi show set on a space station.**

**When they were close to full strength, they thought they heard someone singing distantly, but put it down as background music from the show. They were even starting to enjoy the strange story, feeling both amused and flattered by the similarities between themself and the fictional aliens in the show, one of whom was a shape-changing goo, and another was a symbiote that they found surprisingly accurate for a story made up by humans.**

**As they gathered their strength and prepared to properly introduce themself to their host, they heard a voice impossibly close to their ear,**

_"You're not real, you know."  
_

**They damn near lept out of their new host, all but screeching,  
**

**"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"**

"AAAAAAAAAAAH! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!?!?!"

* * *

Astro screamed at the unfamiliar voice shouting in their head, jumping in their seat and toppling off the sofa. They quickly scrambled upright and scanned the room furiously, trying to find the source. They’d never had a hallucination shout like that, but they were alone in the room, so there wasn’t much else it could have been. Still, they were too rattled to pay attention to the DS9 episode they’d been watching, and reached for the remote to turn it off.

They went bug-eyed as something shiny and black oozed out of their arm, coalescing above their hand and growing amorphous white eyes and rows upon rows of needle-sharp teeth. They blinked owlishly at the... _thing_ on their arm, set their jaw and reached the rest of the way towards the remote, clicking off the tv and pointedly ignoring the glob-creature growing from their forearm. They felt a foreign sense of indignation tickle at the back of their mind, as if feeling someone else’s emotions. Then the damn thing _spoke_.

**“You are not taking this as badly as I expected.”**

“Honestly? I’ve had much scarier hallucinations than you.” they paused. “And now I’m talking to it.”

**“I am not a hallucination, Astrophel Abbott, but I suppose that’s better than ‘parasite’.”**

“...Right. You’re not a hallucination, and I’m the King of France. Why am I even talking to you, you’re not real.”

**“You sound just like Eddie did. I think he would like you.”**

“Don’t know who Eddie is, don’t care. I’m going to sleep, and when I wake up, you’ll be gone, because you’re. Not. Real.”

**“You are not going to sleep, I need to find Eddie. You can’t ignore me.”**

“Oh, yeah? Try me. I’ve got years of practice.”

* * *

Eddie had calmed down significantly by the evening, and spent most of it pointedly ignoring the swarm of butterflies in his stomach while he watched a Harry Potter marathon with Dan pressed close against one side and Anne curled against the other. Eventually they bid him good night and went to bed, leaving Eddie with some blankets and pillows on the sofa. Annie had laid out a pair of pyjama pants for him, and one of his “tourist tees” as she called them, a San Francisco tee shirt he’d bought at a souvenir shop when he first moved here.

He changed into the nightclothes, and crawled into the makeshift bed, and tried to sleep. As soon as he shut his eyes, though, he felt every empty space where Venom used to be, and his head felt so very, very quiet, and so very, very, very lonely. Giving up on sleep, he turned on the tv, on the lowest volume he could still hear, and settled in to wait out the night.

An hour or so later, though, he heard a soft cough from the doorway, and looked up to see a rumpled looking Dan, sans shirt, and an equally sleepy looking Anne, both staring at him, the question, “Why are you still up?” clear in their eyes. He cast his eyes down, feeling guilty for waking them up.

”It’s too...without V... I can’t sleep alone. Not anymore.”

Dan and Anne looked at each other, a whole conversation passing silently between them, and then they were next to him, grabbing a hand each, and tugging him to their bedroom. Eddie was too bewildered to protest, just let himself be guided to the bed, laid down in the middle, and flanked on both sides by Dan and Annie’s warm, long bodies curled around him.

This was gonna be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Astro has psychosis, by the way. I’m undiagnosed as of yet, but I have psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations, though not often auditory/visual like Astro’s are.


	4. Feeling Lost? Have You Tried Hare Krishna?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie falls just a little bit more in love with Dan and Annie, and Venom makes a friend. Misadventures and a tiny crisis of faith slowly but surely drive the two closer back to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is a reference to a running gag in The Muppet Movie. Also, sorry for getting this out so late, I just couldn’t get myself to write.

Sunlight filtered into the bedroom through the narrow slits between the blinds, landing right on Eddie’s eyes. He groaned into awareness, blinking grouchily at the bright intrusion. As consciousness ebbed back to the reporter, he remembered the events of the previous day, and finally bolted upright when he realised exactly _whose_ bed he was in. Heart pounding, he looked around the large bed, calming only slightly when he found himself the only occupant. His lack of appetite would have been a welcome thing half a year ago, but now it was a painful reminder of his missing half.

Deciding he was too groggy to deal with the existential crisis he could feel looming, Eddie threw back the covers and padded out of the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen. Dan was at the stove once more, donning nothing but a white tee and a pair of boxers, frying up a pan of bacon, a plate heaped with french toast still steaming next to him. Anne was considerably more dressed, a crisp white button-up tucked into black dress pants. She was still barefoot, though, and her red suit jacket was slung over the back of her chair, a matching tie hanging haphazardly across her shoulders, and her unbrushed hair hung wildly around her it’s-too-damn-early expression. Her hands were wrapped snugly around a mug of coffee, her attention focused on the steaming coffee-maker in front of her.

Dan saw Eddie in the doorway, greeting him with a sun-bright smile and a chirped, “Good morning!”

Anne grunted at him, grabbing a second mug from the cupboard and pouring fresh coffee inside before handing the mug to him with a soft hum.

Eddie smiled fondly at the gesture, blatantly ignoring the pang of longing the domesticity of the situation ignited in his chest. Dan handed him a plate loaded with french toast and bacon, and pressed a plate of just bacon into Anne’s hand, giving her a light peck as he did so. She hummed gratefully, taking the plate with her down the hall. Eddie was halfway done with his breakfast when she came back, hair perfectly styled, makeup done, and tie knotted around her neck. She brushed a hand across his shoulders as she grabbed her blazer from the chair next to him, her fingers seeming to linger longer than perhaps necessary, before she moved away, leaving Eddie feeling cold at the loss. She kissed Dan quickly before slinging her jacket on and rushing out the front door.

Eddie and Dan watched fondly as she left, looking to each other a the door closed, saying in sync,

“Client.”

Dan laughed, loud and unguarded, and Eddie smiled into his coffee. The two ate the rest of their meal in silence. Eventually, though, Eddie broke the peace by asking the question that had been gnawing at him since the day previous.

“How do you know sign language?”

Dan paused in his clean-up of the breakfast detritus, seeming to process the question for a moment, trying to find the best way to phrase his answer.

“One of my mothers is deaf, so I grew up signing.”

Eddie barely blinked at the admission, curiosity the only reason he asked,

“By ‘mothers’, you mean...?”

“I was raised by two moms. I was adopted.”

“Oh, okay. Just wanted to clarify, y’know? I don’t want to assume, I mean, maybe you had a stepmom or something, but that’s totally cool! I-“

“Eddie, oh my god, chill!” Dan laughed, not in a derisive way, just amused and fond. “It’s fine, you didn’t say anything wrong. Now, I understand if this is overstepping your boundaries, and you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but, um... what’s your family like?”

Eddie was quiet for a long time, long enough that Dan was about to apologise, when he quietly replied,

“I don’t know.”

A pause.

“I mean, I don’t know what they’re like now. I haven’t spoken to any of them since I turned 18. My...”

He sucked in a sharp breath.

“My parents disowned me when I came out as their son. My mother was too scared of my dad to go against him, and my dad... Well, I already told you he was a devout man. Roman Catholic. He believed that ‘God doesn’t make mistakes’ and ‘no daughter of mine would go against the Lord’s design.’ He threw me out of the house and made sure the whole congregation knew I was an ‘unwelcome heathen.’ So, yeah, we don’t talk much.”

Dan couldn’t find anything to say, so he just beckoned Eddie into his arms and held the smaller man tight as he cried angry tears into his shoulder.

* * *

Astro woke late in the morning, stretching languidly and clambering out of bed, feeling an odd weight in their chest as their feet hit the floor, but continuing on to the bathroom. They had just climbed in the shower when a tar-like black ooze once again bubbled it's way out of their arm. Rather than panic, as they had before, they swallowed the lump in their throat and simply said, "Shower first."

Once they were clean and wrapped in a terry-cloth robe, the goop-thing manifested itself and spoke.

**"You have finally accepted I am not one of your 'hallucinations'. Why?"**

"Because they never last this long, and now that I think about it, I've never had a hallucination I could see, hear, _and_ touch. So, yeah, you're probably real."

The black slime appeared to pause, as though pondering what to say next, before curling it's way further up their arm and speaking again.

**"Thank you. I do not wish to be here any more than you want me here, but I need your help. I need to find my Eddie, and without a host I will die on your planet. This is where Eddie would tell me to say 'please'."**

Astro stifled a laugh at the creature's odd phrasing of the last line, but quickly schooled their face into semi-seriousness.

"Sure, I'll help you find Eddie, but I get to ask you as many questions as I want until we find him. Deal?"

**"Deal."**

"First things first, what- no, who are you?"

**"I am Venom, a symbiote of the Klyntar race. Your choice of media would suggest that you know what that means, Astrophel."**

"Astro, please. And yeah, you're like the trill, right?"

**"It is the most accurate depiction I have seen so far, yes. I am...impressed."**

"Glad you like Star Trek. Second question, who is Eddie?"

**"My host."**

"From what you've said so far, you can use anyone as a host, why him?"

**"We are compatible. Lesser hosts tend to die."**

"...Well, given that I'm not dead yet, I'm guessing I'm compatible too, so there must be others besides Eddie. So what's so special about him? What is he to you?"

The creature - Venom - wriggled, and Astro got the distinct impression that if it could blush, it would.

**"Eddie is... special. He is the one who showed me the beauty of this world, and convinced me that your species was worth more than food. I could take other hosts, yes, but I... I want Eddie. Eddie is mine."**

Astro smiled knowingly.

"Got it. You love him, don't you?"

Venom blinked at the question, their alien face making the expression especially cartoonish.

**"I do not know. My species does not value emotion, let alone have a concept like 'love', but I think... If I am capable of love, than that is what I feel for Eddie. I was always different from the others, perhaps that is why."**

There was a long beat of silence.

"I, uh, get what you mean. About being different than other people, y'know? Anyway, next question-" they were cut off by a loud growl from their stomach, and flushed at the noise, "...are you hungry?"

Venom grinned maniacally at that, and nodded, allowing Astro to walk them both to the kitchen, where the symbiote insisted they eat the whole carton of eggs, and only protested slightly when Astro paused to gulp down half the jug of orange juice, downing the other half once they were done.

Astro made the mistake of letting Venom pilot them out the front door and down the street, and blanched when the still-hungry symbiote snatched a seagull from the curb and ate it in one bite.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" Their hands flew over their mouth when they realised just how loud they'd yelled, and froze for a moment until they were sure no one had been disturbed by the shouting. "That was absolutely disgusting. I get to drive until I say you can take over. Now, do you like chocolate?"

**"YES."** Venom rumbled back, vibrating with barely contained glee at the prospect of their (second)favourite snack.

"Good." With that, Astro walked down to the nearest bus stop and climbed aboard a mostly empty bus, sitting down right next to the door. Venom pouted at having to wait, but knew that humans tended not to react well to strange behaviour on public transportation. They finally got off across the street from a small bakery on the corner, the sign on the front reading "Mazzetti's". The line was only one person long, and there were a surprising number of goods still available. Astro made up their mind and told the worker behind the counter,

"Can I get one chocolate cheesecake muffin, one chocolate croissant, a chocolate old-fashioned, and two chocolate iced long johns?"

The cashier diligently placed their order into a small box and placed it on the counter as Astro paid, not noticing the tendril of shiny black ooze that Astro quickly shooed away from opening the box.

Once outside, Astro barely managed to grab one of the long johns for themself before Venom practically inhaled the cocoa-flavoured treats, tossing the box into the trash bin as they passed, and emitting a pleased rumble that Astro would swear was a purr.

* * *

**Venom felt an unfamiliar sensation that they identified as relief when Astrophel acquiesced to their demands. Still hungry, they couldn’t resist crunching down a shorebird that wandered too close, which Astroph- Astro did not react well to. Despite that, they immediately knew they liked their new host when the human bought them chocolate from a “bakery”. They vibrated happily as they devoured the baked treats, feeling their chemical balance improve almost immediately. They walked absentmindedly back to the bus stop, waiting for the next one when Astro asked,**

“You really like chocolate, huh?”

**“Yes. It is high in phenethylamine, which is a vital nutrient for my species. It’s more abundant as a neurochemical, but Eddie does not like when I eat...living things. Besides, I find I quite enjoy sucrose-heavy foods like chocolate. Eddie says I have a ‘sweet tooth’.”**

**Astro shook visibly with barely contained laughter, amusement bubbling pleasantly in their brain, the sweet taste of endorphins rushing into Venom. Their levels were concerningly low, however, and Venom was reminded of Eddie’s brain chemistry when they first met.**

**“Are you sad? Your neurotransmitters are imbalanced like Eddie’s were when he was sad. You are laughing though. I do not understand.”**

**Their host looked taken aback, shock jolting through their mental link.**

“I- I’m not-“ **Astro floundered at the question.** “I’m not sad. I have... my brain is sick, if that makes sense. There’s a lot going on, really, but that’s the short version.”

**They fell silent as the bus arrived and they climbed on, processing the information. Halfway through the ride, they noticed a figure in the corner of Astro’s vision, who Venom was certain hadn’t been there a moment ago. Astro flinched when the figure turned it’s head towards them, staring unnervingly at them. Quickly catching on to what was happening, Venom manifested their face out of Astro’s shoulder, small enough not to be seen, and turned their own eyes to the empty space where the figure appeared to be standing. Seeing that there was, in fact, no-one there, they sent their visual input through the link to Astro, hoping to “override” the hallucination.**

**“There is no-one there, Astro. You are safe.”**

**Astro said nothing, but they radiated gratitude back through their link, smiling as they got off the bus and started walking.**

“Thank you, Ven. That was- thank you.”

**“You are welcome. Is this another part of the brain-sickness?”**

“Technically, yeah. I actually normally have meds to deal with all my shit, but I forgot to refill my prescription. The ‘neurotransmitter imbalance’ is from a different thing than the hallucinations, though.”

**“I could fix it, if you like.”**

“NO!” **Astro shouted, hunching in on themself when they realised people had heard.** “No, Ven. I... I can’t really explain it, but... I want to deal with this on my own. Plus, I don’t... the hallucinating thing? I don’t think of it as something that needs fixing. It’s... it’s a part of me, y’know? My brain is weird, yeah, but it’s my kind of weird. I don’t know who I’d be without it, and honestly? I don’t think I want to know. Am I making any sense?”

**“Yes. Eddie feels the same way about being ‘Autistic’. I understand.”**

**Astro snorted a laugh at that.**

**“What is it?”**

“Nothing, it’s just... You said that I’m about as compatible with you as he is, and he’s Autistic and I’m psychotic. It almost seems like you’re only compatible with Neuroatypical people.”

**“Perhaps you are right, whatever that means.”**

“It’s... it means people with weird brains. Like mine.”

**“Like Eddie’s.”**

“Exactly.”

**They walked in companionable silence for a while, Astro enjoying the company, and Venom thinking that maybe, if they don’t find Eddie, they wouldn’t mind being bonded with Astro. They reached Golden Gate Park when Astro stopped in their tracks.**

“Hey, Ven? Do you actually know where we’re going?”

**Venom thrummed a little guiltily under Astro’s skin.**

**“I do not know where Eddie lives. But!” they insisted when they sensed annoyance from the human, “I can sense him. It is hard to explain. I know his scent, his taste, the sound of his heartbeat. I do not know his exact location, but I can feel where he is.”**

**Astro was still unsure, but Venom could feel begrudging trust humming through the bond.**

**“I know where we’re going.”**

**A beat.**

**“Mostly.”**

* * *

Eddie and Dan pointedly avoided talking about family for the rest of the day, opting instead to use their respective connections to try to find any clue as to where Venom was, or if they were even alive. When their search yielded no results, Dan moved to teaching Eddie some basic signs they both figured he ought to know the next time he had a non-verbal bout. They had started goofing off, practicing curse words instead, Dan in the middle of teaching Eddie how to call someone a “cock-waffle” when Anne thundered into the apartment, dumping her stuff on the kitchen table in a hurry and rushing over to the two men, who stood to meet her, grinning excitedly.

“Eddie, I have news! I hope it’s good news, but it’s up to you to say whether or not it’s good, depending on what your criteria for what constitutes ‘good news’ is, and-“

Dan put a hand on her arm to get her attention.

“Anne, breathe. Okay? Breathe. Now, what’s the news?”

“Okay so my client, uncivil obedience case, it’s a long story, anyway, her wife is a dockworker, right? So apparently, yesterday a bunch of fishing boats all reported a trail of dead fish going from the middle of the bay to Fisherman’s Wharf, and get this! All the fish had died by being eaten from the inside! It’s Venom, Eddie, it’s got to be! They’re alive!”

Eddie felt a warm flood of relief and hope run through him at the news, and his knees felt a bit like Jell-O. He sat back down shakily, holding a hand to his now pounding heart. Venom, _his_ Venom, was alive.

Dan smiled at Annie, hugging her tight before turning to Eddie and sitting down next to him, Anne taking the seat on his other side.

“It’s just like we said, Eddie, Venom’s not giving up on you that easy. I guarantee you, they’re on their way back to you right now. The only question is, what do you want to do now?”

Eddie didn’t know how to answer. He was so happy that Venom was alive that nothing else really mattered at that moment. The more he thought about it, it seemed that the best course of action was to wait for Venom to find him. He had no way of tracking them, and it’s not like he could put up flyers saying “Have you seen this symbiote?” He felt... lost. And afraid. What did he want to do? What did he need to do?

“I... I think I... I want to pray.” he swallowed nervously. “Is that weird?”

It was Anne who spoke this time.

“No, Eddie, that’s not weird at all. I get it.”

They all stared awkwardly at each other until Dan broke the silence.

“So, uh... how do you want to pray? Do you... do you need anything?”

Eddie smiled.

“Just a church. Only problem is, I don’t know where one is.”

“Well, don’t look at me,” Anne replied, “I’m Jewish, I don’t know any more than you do.”

Dan fought back the urge to ask how they had planned to get married and said instead, “I don’t know if I’ll be much help either. I’m pagan, the closest thing we’ve got to sacred ground is my friends’ house we spend sabbats at.” He paused, seeming to remember something, “Although, a friend of mine goes to the Root Beer Church, it’s close by and they say it’s good as churches go.”

Anne raised an eyebrow, “The Root Beer Church?”

Dan blushed, a shade of pink that Eddie was starting to think might be his new favourite colour.

“It’s actually called the Dolores Park Church, but they hold root beer tastings there sometimes, hence the nickname.”

Anne kept her eyebrow arched, but broke into a wide grin, mirth shining in her soft brown eyes, sending Eddie’s heart aflutter.

Mentally shaking himself, Eddie responded,

“Alright, so, how far away is ‘close by’?”

“Oh! Uh...” Dan grabbed his phone to look up the address. “It’s about a fifteen minute walk. Before we go, it says here it’s a Christian church, and you said your family was Roman Catholic. I don’t know if that matters, I never really understood the distinction...”

Eddie huffed a laugh. “My dad cared, but I don’t. I don’t really know _what_ I believe, really, I just know that I _do_.”

They sat there for a tense moment, waiting for someone to make a move. Finally, Eddie broke the tension.

“Alright, let’s go! Dan, you know where it is, so lead the way!”

* * *

Astro had long ago let Venom take the helm, and was content to just sit back and observe, fascinated by the glimpses of Venom's perception of the world that slipped through their flimsy bond. Eventually, though, they finally gave in to curiosity and asked the question that had been on their mind since their conversation that morning.

"So, Ven...Does Eddie, um, know how you feel about him? Like, does he know you love him?"

**"He knows that he is special to me, yes. I have never said I love him, but I think he knows. He loves me too, even if he is an idiot when it comes to that sort of thing."**

"Sounds like there's a story there. Come on then, dish!"

**"Dish?"**

"It means gossip. Just- just tell me about it."

**"Eddie was engaged to Anne before we met. I don't know the specifics, but he 'fucked it up' and she left him. He was sad when we met, because of her. It is a long story, but she has a new boyfriend, Dan, and Eddie is attracted to both of them. I have told him that they reciprocate his feelings, but he refuses to do anything about it. I don't think he believes me. He feels... guilty, and I don't know why."**

Astro was silent for a moment, processing the whole situation.

"Well. That is, uh, that's a mess. It seems to me like he's afraid of messing up more than one relationship. He's scared of hurting Anne, and Dan, and you."

**"Why would he hurt me?"**

"From what you've told me, it seems like you two are in a relationship yourselves, and he might be worried that him liking them is a violation of that relationship."

**"Eddie may be a loser, but he is my loser. It is not a violation to extend our relationship to Anne and Dan. I do not understand why he would think so."**

"Yeah, well, humans can be weird about monogamy. Anyway, it kinda seems like you only want to add them to your whole... thing because it would make Eddie happy, and that might be part of what's bothering him. So, let me ask you this: How do _you_ feel about Anne and Dan?"

**Venom was stunned for a moment. They hadn't ever thought about it. Eddie was their whole world, so what made him happy was what made Venom happy. They never considered that Eddie thought of them as an individual, a separate person from their host. It wasn't something a Klyntar did. They were a collective, smaller parts of a larger whole, what they wanted didn't matter. But, when they thought about it,**

**"Anne is... special, too. Not like Eddie is, but she is a compatible host, and I... like her. She is strong and smart and she makes Eddie happy. Plus, he listens to her when he won't listen to me. Dan... I do not know him enough to know if I like him or not. But he keeps Eddie healthy, and if Eddie and Anne both like him, I am sure I will like him, too."**

"There you go, see. I think Eddie needs to know that you want them too, not just because he does."

They walked in silence for a while, winding through the park, hugging the edges of the trail and keeping their distance from the occasional jogger that they passed. Suddenly, though, Venom stopped, confusion leaking through the link to Astro.

"What's wrong, Ven? Why'd we stop?"

**"Eddie has moved, I lost track of him. I just need to locate him again, it won't take long. Keep moving."**

Astro did as they were told, following the path they had been taking before.

**"Found him."**

* * *

They'd been walking for what felt like ages, and Eddie was starting to suspect that Dan's estimated walking time had been off.

"Hey, Dan, what gives, I thought you said this was a fifteen minute walk?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. It's fifteen minutes for me, but I forgot how short you two are."

Eddie made a noise of mock offense and Anne kicked the brunette playfully in the side of the leg. Dan just laughed and kept walking. Eddie and Anne shared a look, exasperation and fondness, and if Eddie didn't know better, he'd say it was a "remind-me-why-we-love-him?" look. But there was no way. Right?

"Hey, um... Eddie?" Anne started awkwardly.

"Yeah?" Eddie felt suddenly afraid.

"Do you... do you remember last night?"

Eddie nodded carefully, immediately launching into a string of apologies. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said anything, I should have just pretended to be asleep, I'm sorry you felt pressured to let me sleep with you, god, I'm such an idiot-"

"Eddie!" Anne's tone was enough for him to snap his mouth shut.

"We didn't feel pressured to do anything. We wanted you there, and..." she looked at Dan. "you're welcome to sleep there again. With us."

Eddie evidently looked a little confused, trying not to let the hope blooming in his chest show on his face, because Dan clarified.

"We love you, Eddie. We want you to, if you feel the same, be a part of this. Of us."

Eddie's brain short-circuited. A thousand thoughts flew through his head, and he was so distracted he almost ran into the two of them, looking up to realise they'd arrived at the church. Steeling his resolve, he answered.

"I... I don't know what to say. I want to say yes, I really do, I love you both, but..." He paused, trying to translate all his thoughts into a coherent response. "If... if we can be... whatever this is, I want that, but Venom and I are a package deal. I don't want to leave them out of this. So... even if you don't love them the way I do, if you think you can come to love them at all, the answer is yes. But I need you to think about it. And I need to find Venom before you answer."

They were all silent, Anne opened her mouth to say... something, but Eddie interrupted.

"We're here, and I... I need a moment. You guys stay out here."

And he turned and walked in. It had been years, decades almost, since he'd been inside a church, but it felt different than it used to. His inner self was finally reflected on his outer body, and it felt... freeing. As though he was finally baring himself, fully, to the heavens. He felt safe. As he walked down the pews, he felt a faith in God that his father had all but carved out of him slowly crackle back to life. He finally came to the front, and sat down, relying on muscle memory to clasp his hands and close his eyes in prayer.

_"Please bring Venom back to me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mazzetti’s? Real  
> Root Beer Church? Real  
> Reliable public transportation between San Mateo County and SF? Entirely fictional
> 
> Also, I hc that Anne has ADHD, and everything I wrote about Anne and Dan’s religions and family are just headcanons. Eddie’s dad was an asshole in canon, and Eddie is a man of faith, it’s part of what makes his character and relationship with Venom so interesting. Basically, the comics are really good, go read them. I recommend First Host. (Also, I'm not sure how I did writing Eddie's experience as a religious man, I'm pagan myself, but I find belief of any kind really compelling in a character, when handled well.)


	5. Not Every Happy Ending Has To End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunited and it feels so good~! Venom and Eddie finally come back together, Dan & Anne and Eddie & Venom finally become Dan, Anne, Eddie, & Venom, and Astro gains four extra parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for getting this out so late, I wanted to have it finished by Beltane, but it took way longer than it was supposed to to write. Anyway, I hope you like it!

Astro was oddly relieved when Venom finally steered them out of Golden Gate Park. They knew from experience that, unlike the kind of people you come across in parks, folks in the city couldn't care less about someone talking to themself, and they took full advantage.

"How much farther, Ven?" As expected, not one head turned.

**"We are close. I do not understand time or distance the way you do, so that is the best I can give you."**

Astro merely hummed in response, occupying themself with the displays in shop windows, making note of passing storefronts that they wanted to check out later, and trying to orient themself. It didn't take long to realise they were passing through Haight-Ashbury, and then through the Castro, finally reaching Mission Dolores. Astro smiled as they passed Mission High School, where the YES Conference was hosted, and were about to comment on it when they rounded the corner and Venom damn near sang in excitement, Astro feeling residual jitters through their link. Venom turned their head to a building just across the street, where two figures were standing just outside the side-door, the shorter leaning into the tall one as they talked.

**"THERE!!!"**

Astro blinked.

"Isn't that the Root Beer Church?"

Venom didn’t respond, just radiated confusion in Astro's head.

"Nevermind. Is Eddie one of those two?" They gesture the the figures by the church.

**"No, but he is close. That is Anne and Dan. Anne is the small one with light colours, Dan is the longer, darker one."**

Astro bit back giggles as they crossed the street. Venom's descriptions, while apt, were adorably alien. The other two had not yet spotted them, and Astro could _feel_ Venom's grin, their voice dripping with mischief as they said,

**"Let me drive."**

Curiosity won over apprehension, and Astro acquiesced. Venom took control, quietly stalking up to Anne and Dan, and the second they finally noticed the company, Venom manifested pearlescent eyes and a needle-toothed mouth over Astro's own, and rumbled a low,

**"Boo."**

The two were startled for a moment, the taller one - Dan - jumping slightly, before they both pulled Venom into a bruising hug. Venom was practically projecting surprise, clearly not expecting this reaction, and unfamiliar with this level of affection. Astro, for their part, felt awkward about their body being hugged by strangers, regardless of who was controlling it. They took back control from the symbiote and cleared their throat.

"I hate to break up the reunion, but I'd just like to inform you that Ven isn't the only one in here..."

Anne and Dan pull away sheepishly, apologising, Anne immediately launching into questions about them and what happened to Venom while they were gone. Astro held up a finger to cut her off.

"Introductions later, where's Eddie?"

As though just now remembering the, arguably, most important detail of the whole debacle, the two looked at each other in shock, and Dan pointed to the door of the church. Astro nodded their thanks and walked past them, pushing open the dark wood door and climbing the short stairs into the main hall. It was difficult to mask their discomfort, to shake off the feeling of being unwelcome, unsafe, unwanted, and they were grateful that Venom didn't push the issue. As they walked down the pews they spotted an unkempt looking figure in the front row, body curled in prayer. They approached cautiously, finally coming to a stop next to the man. Astro let Venom take the helm, still marveling at he sensation of someone else speaking through their mouth.

**"Hello Eddie."**

* * *

It had been so long since he'd last done anything like this, and Eddie found every creak of the building or car rushing past outside a booming distraction, so he stopped trying to pray altogether when he heard the door to the church creak open and soft footsteps echo through the empty hall. He hoped that they would be gone soon, and he could once again focus on the one thing he came here to do, but instead the footsteps got closer. He hoped that if he looked like he was still in prayer then he wouldn't have to interact with whoever it was. He froze, however, blood running like ice through his veins, when the figure stopped right next to him and a painfully familiar voice called out,

**"Hello Eddie."**

Eddie's head snapped up, hope soaring in his chest, to face the source of the voice. His face fell when he saw not Venom, but a short kid with short, brightly dyed hair and a galaxy sweatshirt standing before him. Chancing the risk of looking completely nuts, he tentatively asked,

"Did you...did you hear that?"

He watched with slight horror but even more overwhelming joy as thin black tendrils wove over the stranger's face, forming a wide grin and a pair of milk-white eyes that sent his heart racing.

**"Yes, Eddie, we did."**

Eddie couldn't help the tears that welled up in his eyes, his body surging forward, unbidden, and pulling Venom into a bone-crushing hug, his whole being screaming 'I'm never letting go.' He pulled away only slightly, staring into Venom's face, properly, for the first time since Anne had rescued him from the LIFE Foundation goons. Without another thought to the action, he leaned in, fully intending to plant one on his symbiote, but was stopped by a smallish hand pressing against the lower half of his face.

"As touching as this is, you really oughta remember that Venom isn't alone in this meatsuit, and that the owner of said meatsuit is A? Not interested, and B? A child. A teenage child, but still, so Ven, if you wouldn't mind?"

Eddie blanched at what he'd almost done, apologies spilling from his lips as Venom slipped their manifested face off of the strangers, the _kid's_ , and down to their shoulder, making their features smaller so as to more easily hover next to the kid's head.

"...and, God, I know there's no excuse for that, holy shit, I'm so, so, so sorry, I can't really make it up to you, but I'll try anyway, God!-" The kid holds up a hand to shut him up, which he does, immediately.

"You're fine, dude, I understand completely. You were happy about being reunited with your... datemate? Whatever Venom is to you, and wanted to get right to the physical expressions of love, I get it. That said, we should probably get on with it. I'm Astrophel Abbott, but everyone calls me Astro." They extended the hand they'd held up, clearly offering it for Eddie to shake.

"I, uh, I don't really... shake hands." Eddie explained, hoping the kid - Astro, he reminded himself - wouldn't be too offended. To his surprise, they just shook their head, laughing.

"Don't need to, just get your hand where Venom can reach it."

Eddie's eyes widened in understanding, and he reached his own hand forward, shiny, ink-coloured threads of symbiote seeping through Astro's outstretched hand and reaching for Eddie, latching on and sinking into him the second he got close enough, and Eddie nearly crowed in happiness.

* * *

**Venom thrummed in anticipation as Eddie's hand got closer and closer, and they all but leapt towards him when he finally reached them, sending one last wave of gratitude to Astro before they detached completely, racing up Eddie's arm to the cozy little nook where his skull met his spine. They settled in like they'd never been away, their consciousness curling elatedly, fondly, _possessively_ around Eddie's. Eddie, puzzlingly human Eddie, responded to Venom's embrace by releasing a waterfall of tears, nose running and smile stretched so wide Venom could feel it hurt.**

"Woah, Jesus, what's wrong, are you okay?" **Astro was visibly unnerved by Eddie's reaction. Venom pulled just enough of their matter out of Eddie's shoulder to form a face, explaining to their new friend,**

**"There is nothing wrong, we are happy. Eddie is a... 'cry-baby'." Venom narrowly dodged Eddie's replying swat, bitter indignation undercut by the syrupy sweet of fondness. Astro seemed to calm down at this explanation, grinning slightly at their antics.**

"Well, if that's all settled, I suggest you finally talk to Eddie here," **they gestured to Eddie, as if Venom would not understand who they were talking about otherwise,** "like a fucking adult. Go on!"

**Venom narrowed their eyes, glaring in mock offense at Astro, but felt all sense of hesitance melt at Eddie's open, curious gaze.**

**"Eddie, I... missed you." They paused, but at Astro's pointed look and raised eyebrow, they added, "And I love you."**

**Their host started crying once more, though not the smiling, near-hysterical weeping of earlier. This was blank faced, wide-eyed, tears trickling down the human's still flushed cheeks, his thoughts and emotions too fast, too loud, too scattered for Venom to get a read on any of them. The symbiote panicked, afraid they'd said something wrong, that Eddie didn't return their affection like they thought, and they felt their cells wobble, their manifestation too much to maintain in their frenzied state.**

"Oh, no, V, come back, I-" **Eddie was panicked too, now, regret running through their bond, coaxing Venom back out where he could see them.** "I love you, too, you stupid parasite. It's just that... I've never actually heard you say that before."

**Venom was so relieved they let Eddie's insulting 'term of endearment' slide, oozing closer and wrapping themself tight around his neck and shoulders, silently sighing in contentment and Eddie reached up and squoze back.**

"Again, sorry to interrupt, but your friends are still waiting outside."

"About that..."

* * *

As ecstatic as he was about getting Venom back, Eddie couldn't help the dread that settled low in his stomach when he remembered his conversation with Annie and Dan outside the church.

"About that..." Eddie paused nervously, trying to form his hectic thoughts into words. "Venom, I... I love you, you know that right?"

**"Of course, Eddie."**

"Right, well, um... I think I might also love Dan and Annie-"

**"I know, Eddie."**

"No, V, I mean, I think I'm _in love with them_."

**" _I know_ , Eddie."**

Eddie froze, dumbstruck, a thousand thoughts running through his head. _Why didn't Venom say anything? Were they hurt? How did they feel about it?_

"I... I'm so sorry, V, I wasn't going to say anything, but then they said they wanted me to join their relationship, and I was so happy I almost said yes, but I love you most, V, and I didn't know if I'd ever see you again, and I kind of panicked and said maybe, but I need to know that it's mutual on all sides, y'know, like, I need them to love you too, 'cause we're a package deal, right, but I also don't want you to be in a relationship with people you don't love just for my sake, and for the love of God, will you please say _something_ so I'm not standing here rambling like an idiot?!"

**"I understand, Eddie. That is, I understand your feelings. My species has no concept of 'monogamy' the way you humans do, and I don't think I will ever understand why you didn't just talk about it, with me or with them. And you are not alone in feeling like Anne and Dan would be good mates. If I... it is a 'long story' but I think that if love is something I can feel, then it is what I feel for the three of you."**

Eddie beamed, his heart felt as though it was glowing, and he plunged his calloused hands into Venom's pitch black form, guiding their manifested face towards his and kissing them sound. Before the two could get too wrapped up in each other, rather literally, a pointed cough sounded from a few feet away. Eddie broke apart from his symbiote sheepishly, his face heating and no doubt reddening as he turned to Astro, feeling rather guilty for forgetting them so easily.

"I don't mean to spoil the moment, again, but I'd like to wrap this whole thing up so I can go home, and your soon-to-be other halves are _still_ waiting."

Smiling awkwardly, Eddie loosed his grip on Venom's slick black ooze and nodded at the kid, following them out of the church to where Anne and Dan were no doubt starting to worry what had happened. The second the three exited the building, Venom still noticeable to those who knew what they were looking for, they found themselves surrounded by lawyer and surgeon, who seemed to be doing their best to squish them all into a singular entity. Eddie could've stayed like that all day, but the need for air eventually overwhelmed the comfort of the embrace, and he finally tapped out, Dan letting go first and Anne giving one last squeeze before releasing them completely. Eddie turned his attention to the teenager they'd left by the wayside, and Anne and Dan followed suit.

"Hi! Um... I'm Astro, nice to meetchya! Do either of you shake hands?" they asked, grinning lopsidedly and flinging their hand forward with as much grace as they could muster. Dan smiled back, grabbing the newcomer's hand and shaking it firmly,

"Dan Lewis, back at you!"

"Anne Weying," she took Astro's hand more gently, giving it more of a half-hearted bounce, before continuing, "Thank you so, so much for getting Venom back to us. I don't know what you both went through, but I have a feeling you saved their life as well, and I really can't thank you enough."

Astro turned a bright scarlet under all the attention, muttering a quiet 'Thank you' back to the two of them before launching into a not too long explanation of what happened, Venom occasionally interrupting to recount the events from their perspective, Eddie, Anne, and Dan (mostly) managing to reign in their laughter throughout.

"...and finally we found our way here. There's probably a lot I forgot to mention, but I'm sure Venom can fill you in." They paused, clearly deliberating over something in their head. "Um... If you wouldn't mind, would you be okay exchanging contact info? I just, uh, well, you guys seem... cool, y'know? And I'd like to stay in touch. If that's alright with you, of course!"

The three adults all smiled and took turns exchanging contact info, Venom silently asking Eddie if they could just adopt Astro, and Anne all but outright declaring them all Astro's unofficial godparents, assuring Astro they were always welcome to call if they needed anything, or just wanted to talk, and Dan making sure to schedule a checkup with the kid to make sure Venom hadn't done any permanent damage, to which Venom made an indignant noise and stuck their tongue out at him. They said their final goodbyes, and Astro turned to leave, pausing briefly to say,

"And, y'know, if you ever need a symbiote-sitter again, I've grown kind of attached to goth flubber over there." And walked off before Venom could get too offended by the nickname.

Once Astro's retreating form had vanished from view, Anne and Dan turned to Eddie, the three of them looking at each other expectantly, each waiting for one of the others to talk first. It was Anne who finally broke the silence.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, this is ridiculous! Eddie!" he turned to her, startled, and at this point, slightly afraid, "I love you, and while I'm still getting used to the whole "aliens are real and my ex-fiancée is dating one of them" thing, I definitely feel that we wouldn't be complete without them. In order for there to be an _us_ , we need _all_ of us. And I've got to admit, it's hard to share a headspace with someone and not bond with them, even just a little."

They both turned their heads to Dan, Eddie still unsure and Anne doing her best to scream 'Get on with it!' at him without actually saying anything.

"To be honest, I feel like I'm the odd one out. I've known you both the least amount of time, and I've never... bonded with Venom the way you two have," Eddie felt his heart sink, and it must have shown on his face, because Dan rushed to continue, "But! In the short while I've known you, I've fallen pretty deeply, Eddie, and if I can love Venom even half as much as you do, well, I'd be honoured. Anyone you care about that strongly is worthy of the world."

Eddie felt as though his heart would burst, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, and the look on Anne's face told him he wasn't alone in feeling like he'd just fallen in love with Dan all over again just now. He couldn't bring himself to speak, too afraid that if he disrupted the moment it would all fall apart, and Venom, sensing their host's apprehension, spoke for them both,

**"I'm not sure what we're supposed to say, but yes to all of it."**

Grinning madly, Anne pulled Eddie in for a deep kiss, and Eddie half expected her to dip him like an old Hollywood movie. It was familiar but completely different from every kiss they'd shared before, this one full of hope, of promise, felt less like 'eventually' and more like 'finally', like all the missing pieces from before had finally been found. Which, in a way, they had. When they finally pulled away, Dan leaned in and pressed a chaste, though not fleeting, kiss to Eddie's scruffy cheek, smiling like a fool.

* * *

**Venom was deliriously happy, a feeling that was only amplified by Eddie's exhilarating cocktail of emotions, the light, sugar-sweet taste of joy and relief at having them back, the strong, heady flavour they'd come to recognise as love, a vibrant mix of affection, care, protectiveness, and the deliciously bitter tang of arousal.  
**

**Their thoughts came to a screeching halt as they finally realised what was different about Dan's neurochemical reaction to the other humans.**

**"Dan." The human in question jumped almost imperceptibly at being addressed by the symbiote directly.**

"Yeah?"

**"I have noticed that your neurotransmitters - dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin - elevate just like Eddie's and Anne's do when you're around each other, but unlike them, your hormoone levels do not. Why?"**

**Dan blushed and spluttered for a minute, looking to the other humans for support and finding only amusement, from Anne, and confusion, from Eddie. Steeling himself, he cleared his throat awkwardly and stared pointedly at the ground ahead of them as he answered.**

"I'm asexual, V. I know that human sexuality is probably one of the hardest things to understand about us, but it means I don't experience sexual attraction. I don't... I don't look at Anne or Eddie and feel the desire to have..." he pauses, before continuing quietly, "... _sex_ with them. That's not to say that sex is off the table, eventually, but it's not something I really think about on my own, and I could go the rest of my life never having sex. So, I, uh, it probably won't even occur to me to initiate anything, but, again, I'm still down if my partner, or, I guess, um, partners, are interested, and god, I'm not making much sense, am I, I mean, this stuff is confusing as it is, and I-"

**"I understand. I am the same, though not in the same way."**

"...Really? If you don't mind me asking, how's that?"

**"My species does not reproduce the way yours does. We spawn, as you say, 'asexually'. On my own, I do not experience sexual attraction, but if my host does, so do I. I am attracted to you because Eddie is, just as I am attracted to Eddie because he is attracted to me. It is hard to fully explain in a way you would understand, but that is the 'gist of it'."**

"Huh. That's... actually kind of cool. Heh. I guess the kids who called me an alien were right, in a way." **Dan smiled, a new, fond light in his eyes, that Venom felt reflected in their own consciousness, 'We are not so alone in the universe as we think.'**

**"One more question."**

"What's that, bud?"

**"Can Eddie and I still 'make out' with you?"**

**They could feel Eddie's mortification through the bond.**

"Oh my god."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End~!
> 
> Do let me know if there's something about this fic you'd like to see more of, be it Autistic Eddie, ADHD Anne, any exploration on backstory or religion, more Dan/Anne/Eddie/Venom OT4, or more of Astro! I am planning on writing a Holiday fic for the four of them come December, so if you're interested, keep an eye out in winter!
> 
> And even if you just liked the fic, P L E A S E C O M M E N T !!! I love getting feedback! Don't be shy!

**Author's Note:**

> That’s all you get for now, but I should update soon. I hope to have this fic finished by Beltane. Also, comments are appreciated!


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